Ballot Questions Addressed by Voters

On Election Day voters in Winthrop not only cast their votes for various candidates but also let their voices be heard on five ballot questions, two more than in most places.

The extra ballot questions were clearly pointed toward Winthrop’s State Representative and Speaker of the House Robert DeLeo.

Both questions made it on the ballots in Winthrop and the small portion of Revere that DeLeo also serves. They were submitted after two recent MIT grads, who have never lived in the 19^th Suffolk District collected enough signatures to have the two citizen’s initiative questions placed on the ballot.

Question 4 was a nonbinding question regarding the Global Warming Solutions Implementation Act. Question 5 was also a non-binding question, seeking to repeal the Speaker’s salary by $45,000.

The question also would have prohibited elected officials and their senior staff from engaging in any lobbying activity for five years once they leave office. The question further seeks a term limit of eight years for the Speaker of the House position.

Winthrop voters cast 4,751 ‘yes’ votes and 1,923 ‘no’ votes for Question 4 and 4,249 votes in favor of Question 5 and 2,322 ‘no’ votes.

Speaker DeLeo said he is grateful to the voters of the 19th Suffolk for helping him earn the most votes of any candidate on the ballot in Winthrop and the highest percentage of votes in the City of Revere.

“I am proud of my record of serving the residents of Winthrop and Revere by fighting to secure funding for schools and athletic facilities, new parks and beach beautification and resiliency projects, as well as grants to community groups and seniors,” DeLeo said. “I look forward to continuing to serve the people of my district in the upcoming session.”

On the other ballot questions Winthrop voted much the way the state did. Question 1, regarding patient to nurse limits, had 1,952 ‘yes’ votes and 5,501 ‘no’ votes.

Question 2, which asks if a citizens commission should be created to consider and recommend potential amendments to the Constitution be established, had 4,966 ‘yes’ votes and 2,238 ‘no’ votes.

Question 3 is a referendum on an existing law, which addresses a transgender anti-discrimination question. In Winthrop 4,901 voted ‘yes’ and 2,540 voted ‘no’.